News

Cops caution residents to lock homes, cars after break-ins

By Jason Graziadei

I&M Senior Writer

A flat-screen television was stolen from a Tennessee Avenue residence while the homeowner slept in the next room, and several car break-ins were reported in Madaket over the past week, leaving some residents on edge.

Nantucket Police Detective Lt. Jerry Adams said the $1,500 television was stolen sometime during the early morning hours of Sept. 11, and that the thief simply cut the wires from the unit and fled the residence without waking the homeowner. The home was not locked at the time of the incident.

On the same night, cash and other items were reported stolen from a car parked on Washington Avenue, and the perpetrator left behind a pocket knife on the front seat of the vehicle. The car was similarly unlocked.

Police also received two more second-hand reports of unlocked cars being rifled through in Madaket during the early-morning hours.

Adams said Nantucket residents should keep their homes and vehicles locked. The island typically sees an increase in break-ins during the fall, as many homes are left empty after the summer when their owners return to the mainland, and thieves take advantage, Adams said.
“People should secure their vehicles and remove anything valuable from their cars,” Adams said. “Residents should keep their doors locked, especially at night. I know this isn’t the Nantucket way that people are used to, but they should take precautions.”

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